Factory wheel ID for dummies

[oem4me]

Sorry guys, I don't have any useful info about wheels, but instead could really use a guide of sorts for spotting the various and often subtle differences between each generation of factory steel wheels. I know certain individual wheels can be worth a mint, and a seeming very close match good only for a grinder stand base. Got any links to share on the subject?
Oh, and while we're at it...
What's this wheel? 15x5 - Notice the four little bumps - for full wheelcovers ??

[markeb01]

My original 1960 GMC wheels also came with those 4 bumps. They indeed were for the 1956 passenger car wheel covers. Those and Corvette wheel covers did not use conventional gripper fingers. Instead they had a bead around the rim of the attachment flange that snapped into those bumps. Presumably the 56 Chevy wheel covers were provided as they were the last 15inch passenger car covers produced before the switch to 14" wheels.

I don't show a listing for full wheel covers in the 1960 Chevy Truck Accessories Price Schedule, but I have a few vintage photos with them installed on 60-61 trucks. Not sure if these were ever officially offered for truck applications, or if all the rims were punched with the 4 bumps in case they ended up being assembled for a Corvette application.

Here is some more info on the Jim Carter website:

http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/blog/i...-1960-hubcaps/

Your wheel may be a 1961, as I think that might be the first year Chevy eliminated the hub cap clips.

[aerotruk63]

I've been watching for an old Kaysey- Hayes wheel catalog. The parts book lists the full hubcap. Never got into the wheel part numbers however.

[60-66]

I've been learning about these wheels for some time. MarkBo1 made me realize the nubs were indeed 1960, Thanks Mark. However, its my belief from buying and owning several other trucks that after 1960 if it had nubs it was an over the counter replacement rim. That has been proven in the full size Chevy world, Impalas.

At the Lambrecht auction that Blue 1960 longbed stepside had all 5 OG rims with nubs. All the other new trucks 1963 up no nubs, definitely not the only convincing argument but....

All of these rims are dated and stamped in between the beads. Roughly 1968 they started marking them on the outside by the valve stem.

One easy way to ID 15 inch rims is by the size of the valve stem. The larger stem hole was used through 1963 then the smaller one 64 and up. This does not apply to 16 inch and larger Diameters as they used the larger stem from what Ive seen through 1966 and most likely longer.

OEMs picture looks like the 1960 rim, nubs and larger valve stem but I would look for the dates to confirm... BUT, shouldn't it be a CLIP style rim and not the push on cap ?

In searching for 1966 dated rims I ran across two different manufacturers , one Kelsey Hayes and it slips my mind right now the other name but some very small differences between the two.

[theastronaut]

The '66 we bought had the four nubs on the rim, wondered what they were since my other '66 and a '65 I restored didn't have them.

[markeb01]

Another thought popped in my head - is that wheel riveted or spot welded together? My last original 1960 wheel was riveted.

[60-66]

Heres another version " I was told" was 1960 , not so sure anymore. Any thoughts ?

[oem4me]

Originally Posted by markeb01

Another thought popped in my head - is that wheel riveted or spot welded together? My last original 1960 wheel was riveted.

It's welded. Here's the date code info, partially obscured by the weld. ?

[60-66]

From what Im reading on Kelsey Hayes wheels, back in the 60s there were three or four different plants making wheels for Kelsey Hayes. Your wheel has "NT" stamped after the "K" for Kelsey. NT is Norris Technologies . The circle on the right is a Kelsey Hayes symbol. Im only assuming the number 1 at the end is the year. On the stamping style I posted above its stamped K 1 with a 2 underneath , this 2 is for Windsor Ontario Canada. K-1-1 is Romulus Michigan and K-1-3 will be Philadelphia Pa.

[markeb01]

60-66, here are photos of my last original wheel:





Mine had a slightly different shape to the center (less backspacing), and only had 3 holes drilled in the clip humps instead of all 6. Perhaps yours is a Chevy wheel (mine was GMC), or used a different offset center being mounted in a 5.5” rim instead of a 5” width rim. Interesting yours has no wheel cover bumps in the rim although it still has clips for the hub caps.

Years ago that would have been a prime candidate for a reversed rim, as the rim has the shallow face and beautiful deep taper on the back side like the popular 5.5” & 6” rims found on many Buicks. In the early days when custom reversed rims were assembled from used parts, many Chevy and Ford passenger car centers ended up in Buick rims.


Oem4me, it’s interesting mine has a 0 at the end, and it was from a 1960. Not sure if the means yours is a 61? I don’t know when Chevy dropped the clip style hub caps.

[60-66]

[QUOTE=markeb01;6581795]
" I don’t know when Chevy dropped the clip style hub caps."

For the most part on 15 inch rims with Chevy isn't it 1960 only for clips as 1961 up was nubs ? GMC I know used the 1960 hubcap for both 1960 and 1961 and change the style of the cap in 1962 and went to nubs. Interesting that both your rims are NT wheels. My one GMC has the same exact center profile and clips as yours Mark but no outer rim nubs.

[60-66]

Heres some GMC wheel info from a 1960 dated GMC parts book and the 1960 Chevy and GMC Data books.

[MusicMan70]

First off, thanks for all the detailed info and:
Special Thanks to Markeb01 for giving me that GMC wheel to help me get closer to a correct set.

Since OEM4ME mentioned steel wheel generations, I'd like to offer up this odd size wheel;
16.5 x 6.0 with 3 nubs and 6 lugs with 4" BS. Application was for a drum brake Blazer/Jimmy 4wd only.